Spirit Affinity shamanic ability

[Kolati]

I´m playing a Kolati shaman in the eleven lights campaign in RQ Rolelaying in Glorantha (a Free Adaptation from my GM) and I want to take the Spirit Affinity to bargain better with the Air Elementals, so I don't know which is the correct category for that kind of spirits: Main category which gives me a 10% in command and -10% to others to control my spirit or the minor category, which gives 20% and -20%?

Thanks for your answers.

[CBDunkerson]

Ultimately this is a GM call, but the rules seem to describe all spirits "tied to a single Rune" as the normal (10% modifiers) level of this power, and the example given is all Death spirits vs the subset of those which are specifically Disease spirits.

This case is a little less clear because the majority of spirits tied to the Air Rune are specifically air elementals. There may be some exceptions where another Rune is also involved, but whether 'air elementals' truly represent a significant distinction from 'Air Rune spirits' would likely depend on how many non-elemental Air spirits exist in your GM's game world.

[Austin]

41 minutes ago, CBDunkerson said:

This case is a little less clear because the majority of spirits tied to the Air Rune are specifically air elementals. There may be some exceptions where another Rune is also involved, but whether 'air elementals' truly represent a significant distinction from 'Air Rune spirits' would likely depend on how many non-elemental Air spirits exist in your GM's game world.

It's a good question. Again as you said, it'll ultimately be up to the GM, but I would consider the spirits of Orlanthi or Storm Tribe heroes from the God Time to be connected to the Air rune in a similar way, if @Kolati's GM is looking to expand the list. So entities like warriors who fought alongside King Vingkot, maybe. IMHO feel it would be "fair" to ask for the +20% interaction with air elementals.

[David Scott]

The 10% version would apply to any spirit with the air rune, along with air elementals this would include spirits from spirit cults like Thunderbird, Lightning Boy, Rainbow Girl, etc. 

The 20% version keys off "Spirit Affinity is normally required of shamans that belong to cults" and the disease spirit example. So the specific version of Air spirits for Kolati shaman would be those considered part of the Orlanthi pantheon. However there's no single word that covers it. I'd suggest Orlanthi Umbroli Affinity. Which then gives separation from the other Umbroli types - Look at the Other Umbroli box in the Bestiary page 177.

So you could find Orlanth's Seven Winds (rare) easier in the spirit world, but get no bonus on other air spirits.

Spirit that can teach any of Orlanth's spirit magic would also be Orlanthi Umbroli.

Note that there's an error in the wording:

Quote

The ability decreases the rarity of the spirit of the appropriate type by one level on the Spirit Rarity table (see page 375).

 

[David Scott]

4 hours ago, Kolati said:

I want to take the Spirit Affinity to bargain better with the Air Elementals

Just realised you said bargain - it decreases the rarity level and a bonus when casting control or command spells:

Control (Umbroli) so 5 x your POW plus bonus

Command Cult Spirit so appropriate Rune % plus bonus

Command (Alynx spirit) so so appropriate Rune % plus bonus

[Bohemond]

6 hours ago, CBDunkerson said:

Ultimately this is a GM call, but the rules seem to describe all spirits "tied to a single Rune" as the normal (10% modifiers) level of this power, and the example given is all Death spirits vs the subset of those which are specifically Disease spirits.

This case is a little less clear because the majority of spirits tied to the Air Rune are specifically air elementals. There may be some exceptions where another Rune is also involved, but whether 'air elementals' truly represent a significant distinction from 'Air Rune spirits' would likely depend on how many non-elemental Air spirits exist in your GM's game world.

I think if you look at the range of abilities that a theist can get from an Air-rune god, one sees that Air is more than just wind. Orlanth's Air allows people to fly, predict the weather, control the weather, produce thunder, and improve their sword fighting. Urox' Air allows people to fight with great strength and violence. Odayla's Air allows people to hear at a distance, throw things a long distance, fight ferociously or with great strength, and take prey's last breath. So it seems that Air spirits could reasonably do more than just serve as Air elementals.